Spark-plug tester



A. A. MARTELL SPARK PLUG TESTER Filed A rii-2o, 192

515 M who mum Patented Dec. 9, 19240 UNITED STATES ALBERT A. MARTELL, OF WOONSOGKET, RHODE ISLAND.

SPARK-PLUG TESTER.

Application filed Apri1 20, 1920. Serial No' 375,295.

To all whom it may concewr:

Be it known that 1. ALBERT A. lvlAR'lELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Woonsocket, in the county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sipark-Plug Testers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to testing devices and more especially to a testing device for the ignition system of a hydrocarbon engine.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary device adapted to be permanently carried by the spark plug and being detachable therefrom so that when the spark plug is changed the device may be detached and attached to the new plug being used.

A further and important object of the present invention is a testing or grounding device carried by the spark plug body and pern'ianently grounded so that there is no liability of the operator being injured due to shocks while attempting to make tests.

Another object of the present invention is a simple flexible member securely attached to the body of the spark plug and being adapted to ground, the ignition circuit through the plug being tested in such manner that the ooeration of other plugs in the engine may be observed.

A still further and more specific object of the present invention is the provision of a light flexible permanently attached member which may be rotatable around the body of the spark plug and adaptable to hook over a portion of the plug carrying the ignition circuit whereby tests of other plugs in the engine may be accomplished.

Another object of the present invention is a short cireuit-ing flexible member constructed in such manner as to hook over the circuit carrying portion of the spark plug and to normally be pulled into engagement with the side of this member whereby a good contact is established during the testing operation.

Other and further objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part be pointed out in the specification following by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the several figures thereof.

Realizing that the present invention may be embodied in constructions other than the specific constructions herein disclosed. I desire it to be understood that the disclosure herewith is illustrative, and is not to be considered in the limiting sense.

Figure 1 of the drawings is an elevational view illustrating the device in use to short circuit a spark plug;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the spark plug showing the construction of parts and illustrating the normal position of the device;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate diiterent torms of the short circuiting member.

Heretofore in the art there have been devised a large number of devices for testing the spark plugs of a hydrocarbon engine by short circuiting certain of the plugs while the operation of other plugs is observed.

In such prior art the majority of devices have comprised detachable clips which are intended to be used for test purposes. Such clips normally are adapted to be carried among the tools usually used in connection with hydrocarbonengines, and more especially with automobile engines, so that when a test was desired it was necessary to first find the test clips. Devices of this kind usually work through to the bottom ot a tool chest and in the majority of cases the operator would use a screw driver or other suitable tool to makethe test rather than go to the trouble of digging through a number of tools to find the test clips. There have also been devised certain constructions comprising jointed devices, etc, which were intended to be attached to spark plugs and to be adapted for testpurposes. These jointed devices are more or less complicated and are liable to move during the normal operation of the car or automobile due to shocks of various characters, so that oftentimes the spark plugs are short circuited at a time when short circuiting is most undesirable. W hile making tests with'the majority or clip devices, etc, there is great liability or" the operator touching the circuit before a grounding on the metal is established and under such conditions the operator receives a suflicient shock to cause a voluntary eontracting of the muscles which often causes the tool in the operators hand to break the spark plug or do other damage either to the machine or injury to the operator.

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The present invention overcomes the difficulties of the known art by providing a light flexible member permanently grounded to the body of the spark plug so that no shock can be obtained while using this memher, because of the fact that it is always grounded to start with. l urthermore, the fact that the device is always carried by the spark plug insures that it is always handy and ready when the test is desired and the construction is such that it is practically impossible for a spark plug to be short circuited accidentally.

Referring now to the drawings wherein is illustrated a spark plug of a common commercial type comprising a body portion 1 carrying a .porcelain or other insulating member 2 through which extends the circuit member 4 that is provided on its upper end with the binding screws 5. This insulating member is held in the body portion by a clamp sleeve 6 and suitable gaskets 7. The test member 8 is provided with a loop 9 of sufficient size to readily slip over the clamp sleeve 6 and thereby is held between the head of the clamp sleeve 6 and the top of the body 1. A flexible portion 10 extends outwardly from the loop 9 and terminates in a hook 11 which is adapted to be hooked over the circuit member 4 when a spark plug is to be short circuited, as is illustrated in Figure 1. The loop 9 is rotatable around the sleeve 6, so that the portion 10 may be moved out of the way of wrenches or the like. At the same time the loop may engage the sleeve with suflicient force to provide friction to hold the portion 10 wherever it may be positioned, so that the device will not rattle around when the automobile is in normal use.

hen the member 11 is so hooked to make the test it will be clearly seen that the body portion 1 is directly connected to the circuit portion of the plug and since the body portion when in use is inserted in a cylinder of a suitable hydrocarbon engine it therefore follows that the ignition circuit through the particular plug is short cireuited or grounded.

Figure 5 illustrates a slight modification of the flexible member and showsa handle 12 formed on the side of the member which may be used, if desired, in operating the device.

The present device, therefore, not only overcomes the difficulties of known art, but provides an exceedingly simple, efficient, and inexpensive spark plug auxiliary which is always ready for use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A test device for ignition systems for hydrocarbon engines and the like comprising a spark plug having a body portion adapted. to be grounded upon the engine, a current carrying member carried by and insulated from the said body, a flexible device normally grounded on the said body, and a hook on the outer end of the device to permit said device to be attached to said member to ground the said member.

2. A test device for ignition systems for hydrocarbon engines and the like comprisin a spark plug having a body portion adapted to be grounded upon the engine, a current carrying member carried by and insulated. from the said body, a flexible device rotatable upon said body and normally grounded on the said body, and a hook on the outer end of the device to permit said device to be attached to said member to ground the said member.

3. A test device for ignition systems for hydrocarbon engines and the like comprising a flexible wire having a circular loop adapt ed to fit over and be carried by the groumled body of a suitable spark plug, an extension extending outwardly from the loop, and a hook on the end of the extension to short circuit the spark plug for test purposes.

4:- A test device for ignition systems for hydrocarbon engines and the like, comprising a single unitary flexible member having a loop adapted to fit over and be carried by the grounded body of a suitable spark plug,

an extension extending outwardly from the loop and substantially at right angles to the spark plug, and attaching means on the end of the extension to engage the current carrying member of a spark plug to short circuit same for testing purposes.

5. A test device for ignition systems, comprising a flexible wire having a loop at one end adapted to fit around the lower end of a spark plug with the remainder of the wire substantially at right angles to the spark plug, the other end of said wire being formed into an attaching means adapted to engage the current carrying portion of the spark plug to short circuit same for testing purposes, said wire being adapted to be flexed into engagement with the current carrying portion of the spark plug and to return to its normal position when disengaged.

6. A test device for ignition systems, co1nprising a flexible member having a circular loop at one end adapted to be rotatably mounted on the grounded portion of a spark plug with the remainder extending outwardly from said spark plug, the other end of said member being formed into a hook, said member being adapted to be flexed to engage said hook with the current carrying portion of the spark plug and adapted to return to its normal position when disengaged.

ALBERT A. MARTELL.

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